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Abstract:

Disclosed embodiments relate to a display deformation detection system
that detects display deformations based upon changes in resistance and/or
capacitance. In one embodiment, a method includes measuring a baseline
comprising a baseline resistance or a baseline capacitance or both of a
conductive mesh disposed within or overlaid on the display panel. The
method further includes detecting a change in the baseline resistance or
the baseline capacitance or both and calculating a change location where
the change in the baseline resistance or the baseline capacitance or both
occurred. The method also includes calculating a magnitude of the change
in the baseline resistance or the baseline capacitance or both.

Claims:

1. A method of detecting a deformation in a display panel, comprising:
detecting a change in a baseline resistance or a baseline capacitance or
both of a conductive mesh disposed within or overlaid on the display
panel; calculating a change location where the change in the baseline
resistance or the baseline capacitance, or both, occurred; and
calculating a magnitude of the change in the baseline resistance or the
baseline capacitance, or both.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising filtering low frequency changes in
the baseline resistance or the baseline capacitance, or both, via a high
pass filter.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising: detecting movement of the display
panel via an accelerometer; and detecting the change in the baseline
resistance or the baseline capacitance, or both, upon detecting the
movement of the display panel.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising associating the deformation
magnitude with a drop of the display panel.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising determining a touch command based at
least in part upon the deformation.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the touch command includes both a
location of the touch command associated with the change location and a
force of the touch command associated with the magnitude of change.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising monitoring the deformation of the
display panel during the design process of the display panel.

8. The method of claim 1, associating the change location with a
deformation location.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising associating the magnitude of the
change with a deformation magnitude.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising measuring the baseline resistance
or the baseline capacitance, or both.

11. A display deformation detection system, comprising: a display
configured to provide a graphical image; a conductive mesh disposed on or
in the display, having a baseline resistance and a baseline capacitance;
and deformation detection circuitry, configured to: determine the
baseline resistance or the baseline capacitance, or both, of the
conductive mesh; detect a change in baseline resistance or the baseline
capacitance, or both, in at least one portion of the conductive mesh;
store change information relating to the change in baseline resistance or
the baseline capacitance, or both; and associate the change information
with a deformation in the display.

12. The display deformation detection system of claim 11, wherein the
deformation detection circuitry is configured to detect a change in the
baseline resistance of an order of micro-ohms.

13. The display deformation detection system of claim 11, wherein the
deformation detection circuitry is configured to detect a change in the
baseline capacitance of an order of micro-ohms.

14. The display deformation detection system of claim 11, wherein the
deformation detection circuitry is configured to: store a location and a
magnitude of the change in resistance or the change in capacitance, or
both; calculate a deformation location based upon the location of the
change in the baseline resistance or the change in the baseline
capacitance, or both; and calculate a deformation magnitude based upon
the magnitude of the change in the baseline resistance or the change in
the baseline capacitance or both.

15. The display deformation detection system of claim 11, wherein the
conductive mesh comprises a common voltage layer of the display panel,
the common voltage layer configured to supply a common voltage to a
common electrode of the display panel.

16. The display deformation detection system of claim 11, comprising an
accelerometer configured to detect a drop of the display panel, wherein
the display deformation detection circuitry is configured to detect the
change in the baseline resistance or the baseline capacitance or both
when the drop is detected.

17. The display deformation detection system of claim 11, wherein the
display deformation detection circuitry is configured to detect the
change in the baseline resistance or the baseline capacitance or both at
periodic polling increments.

18. The display deformation detection system of claim 11, wherein the
display deformation detection circuitry is configured to remove the
stored location and the stored magnitude of the change in the baseline
resistance or the baseline capacitance or both at periodic intervals.

19. The display deformation detection system of claim 11, wherein the
display deformation detection circuitry is configured to determine the
baseline resistance or the baseline capacitance or both at periodic
intervals.

20. The display deformation detection system of claim 11, wherein the
display deformation detection circuitry is configured to re-determine the
baseline resistance or the baseline capacitance or both as the display
deformation detection system passes a cellular tower.

21. An electronic device, comprising: a display configured to provide a
graphical user interface of the electronic device; a conductive mesh
disposed in or on the display, having a baseline resistance or a baseline
capacitance or both; and a processor configured to: detect a variation
from the baseline resistance or the baseline capacitance or both;
associate a location of the variation from the baseline resistance or the
baseline capacitance or both with a deformation location; associate a
magnitude of the variation from the baseline resistance or the baseline
capacitance or both with a deformation magnitude; and provide a graphical
user interface input instruction based upon the deformation location or
the deformation magnitude or both.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the processor is
configured to detect the variations from the baseline resistance or
capacitance or both at periodic intervals.

23. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the processor is
configured to provide the graphical user interface instruction, wherein
the graphical user interface instruction includes the deformation
location and the deformation magnitude.

24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the graphical user
interface is configured to respond differently based upon variations in
the deformation magnitude.

Description:

BACKGROUND

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to display panels, and
more particularly, to deformation detection in such display panels.

[0002] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects
of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure,
which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to
be helpful in providing the reader with background information to
facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present
disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements
are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0003] Many electronic devices include display panels that provide visual
images to a user of the electronic device. These display panels may be
susceptible to damage when unintended pressure is applied to the display
panels. Some pressure may be internal, deriving from internal components
behind the display. Other pressure may be external, occurring when a user
inadvertently applies excessive pressure to the display.

SUMMARY

[0004] A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth
below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to
provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and
that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this
disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects
that may not be set forth below.

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices and methods
for detecting deformations (e.g., geometrical changes due to exerted
pressure) of a display panel of an electronic device. In certain
embodiments, the display panel deformations may be useful to detect and
diagnosis unintended pressure exerted on the display panel. Further, in
certain embodiments, the display panel deformations may be useful in
detecting intentional pressure exerted on the display panel.

[0006] Various refinements of the features noted above may exist in
relation to various aspects of the present disclosure. Further features
may also be incorporated in these various aspects as well. These
refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any
combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation
to one or more of the illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into
any of the above-described aspects of the present disclosure alone or in
any combination. Again, the brief summary presented above is intended
only to familiarize the reader with certain aspects and contexts of
embodiments of the present disclosure without limitation to the claimed
subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon
reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the
drawings in which:

[0008]FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an electronic device with
display panel deformation detection system, in accordance with an
embodiment;

[0009]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a handheld electronic device
including the display panel deformation detection system, in accordance
with an embodiment;

[0010]FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a display deformation detection
system, including a conductive mesh, in accordance with an embodiment;

[0011] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a display panel with a
concave deformation, in accordance with an embodiment;

[0012] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a display panel with a
convex deformation, in accordance with an embodiment; and

[0013] FIG. 6 is a flow chart depicting a process for detecting display
panel deformations, in accordance with an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

[0014] One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an
effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all
features of an actual implementation are described in the specification.
It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual
implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous
implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers'
specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and
business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to
another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development
effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a
routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of
ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0015] As may be appreciated, electronic devices may include various
components that contribute to the function of the device. For instance,
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating components that may be present in
one such electronic device 10. The various functional blocks shown in
FIG. 1 may include hardware elements (including circuitry), software
elements (including computer code stored on a computer-readable medium,
such as a hard drive or system memory), or a combination of both hardware
and software elements. FIG. 1 is only one example of a particular
implementation and is merely intended to illustrate the types of
components that may be present in the electronic device 10. For example,
in the presently illustrated embodiment, these components may include a
display 12, a display deformation detection system 14, input/output (I/O)
ports 16, input structures 18, one or more processors 20, one or more
memory devices 22, non-volatile storage 24, a network interface 26, an RF
transmitter 28, an antenna 30 coupled to the RF transmitter 28, and an
accelerometer 31.

[0016] The network interface 26 may provide communications capabilities
through a wired (e.g., Ethernet) or wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi) network.
Further, the RF transmitter 28 may provide communications through radio
frequency signals. The accelerometer 31 may measure an acceleration of
the electronic device 10 and provide the measured acceleration to the
processor 20.

[0017] The display 12 may be used to display various images generated by
the electronic device 10. For example, the processor 20 may provide image
data to the display 12. Further, the non-volatile storage 24 may be
configured to store image data provided by the processor 20. The display
12 may be any suitable liquid crystal display (LCD), such as a
fringe-field switching (FFS) and/or an in-plane switching (IPS) LCD.
Additionally, the display 12 may have touch-sensing capabilities that may
be used as part of the control interface for the electronic device 10.

[0018] The display 12 may be coupled to the display deformation detection
system 14, controlled by the processor 20. As will be described in more
detail below, the display deformation detection system 14 may enable the
processor 20 to detect geometrical changes in the display 12. Information
about these geometrical changes or deformations may be stored in the
non-volatile storage 24 or communicated to an external entity (e.g.,
through use of the I/O ports 16, the network interface 26, or the RF
transmitter 28).

[0019] The electronic device 10 may take the form of a cellular telephone
or some other type of electronic device. In certain embodiments,
electronic device 10 in the form of a handheld electronic device may
include a model of an iPod® or iPhone® available from Apple Inc.
of Cupertino, Calif. By way of example, an electronic device 10 in the
form of a handheld electronic device 30 (e.g., a cellular telephone) is
illustrated in FIG. 2 in accordance with one embodiment. The depicted
handheld electronic device 30 includes a display 12 (e.g., in the form of
an LCD or some other suitable display), I/O ports 16, and input
structures 18.

[0020] Although the electronic device 10 is generally depicted in the
context of a cellular phone in FIG. 2, an electronic device 10 may also
take the form of other types of electronic devices. In some embodiments,
various electronic devices 10 may include media players, personal data
organizers, handheld game platforms, cameras, and combinations of such
devices. For instance, the electronic device 10 may be provided in the
form of handheld electronic device 30 that includes various
functionalities (such as the ability to take pictures, make telephone
calls, access the Internet, communicate via email, record audio and
video, listen to music, play games, and connect to wireless networks). In
another example, the electronic device 10 may also be provided in the
form of a portable multi-function tablet computing device. By way of
example, the tablet computing device may be a model of an iPad®
tablet computer, available from Apple Inc. Alternatively, the electronic
device 10 may also be provided in the form of a desktop or notebook
computer with the display 12. For example, the desktop or notebook
computer may be a model of an iMac®, MacBook Air®, or MacBook
Pro® equipped with a display 12. Although the following disclosure
uses the handheld device 30 by way of example, it should be understood
that the display deformation detection system 14 may be employed in like
fashion in any suitable form factor, such as those mentioned above.

[0021] In the depicted embodiment, the handheld electronic device 30
includes the display 12 with the display deformation detection system 14
of FIG. 1. The display 12 may display various images generated by the
handheld electronic device 30, such as a graphical user interface (GUI)
38 having icons 40. A user may interact with the handheld device 30 by
accessing the user inputs 18 and accessing the GUI 38 through touching
the display 12. In certain embodiments, the display deformation detection
system 14 may aid in the user interaction with the GUI 38 of the handheld
electronic device 30. For example, when a user exerts an intended force
upon the display 12, a deformation may occur in the display 12. The
display deformation detection system 14 may detect the location of the
deformation and provide a user input signal to the processor 20 based
upon the deformation location. For example, the user may desire to send
an SMS text message via the handheld electronic device 30. The user may
press the display 12 over the SMS text message icon 40 to open the SMS
text messaging application. Upon pressing the display 12, a display 12
deformation may occur. As will be discussed in more detail below, the
display deformation detection system 14 may determine a location of the
deformation and provide the location to the processor 20. The processor
20 may interpret the location provided by the display deformation
detection system 14 as a user input over the SMS text message icon 40 and
thus execute the SMS text messaging application.

[0022] In certain embodiments, as will be described in more detail below,
the display deformation detection system 14 may provide a magnitude of
the display deformation. The provided deformation magnitude may also aid
in the user interaction with the GUI 38 of the handheld electronic device
30. In certain embodiments, the GUI 38 may be enabled to provide a
variety of functionalities based upon an amount of force provided to the
GUI 38. In one embodiment, an icon may be enabled to affect a change at
different rates based upon a pressure exerted on the icon. For example,
in the depicted embodiment, the volume icons 41 may be enabled to
increase or decrease a volume of the handheld electronic device 30 in 1
dB increments when a light force is provided to the volume icons 41. When
a heavy force is applied to the icons 41, the volume may be increased or
decreased at a higher increment (e.g., 5 dB). In some embodiments, the
display deformation detection system 14 may be enabled to provide levels
(e.g., low, medium, and high) of force to the processor 20 or other data
processing circuitry based upon the magnitude of deformation of the
display 12 breaching certain thresholds. In other embodiments, the
display deformation detection system 14 may provide a continuously
variable amount of force based upon the actual deformation magnitude.

[0023] The deformation detection system 14 may also be useful in
diagnosing damage of the display 12. Damage to display 12 of the handheld
electronic device may occur when excessive force is applied to the
display 12. For instance, when the handheld electronic device 30 is
dropped, the display 12 may break due to the impact from the drop.
Further, when the display 12 uses in-plane switching technology, light
leakage may occur when a display 12 is deformed. The display deformation
detection system 14 may provide a clear understanding of geometrical
changes that occur in a display 12 and pressures exerted on the display
12, which may enable diagnosis of the details surrounding the display 12
damage. For example, the display deformation detection system 14 may be
enabled to store display deformation information when a magnitude of
force breaches an excessive force threshold. In some embodiments, the
excessive force threshold may be approximately 100 newtons. Upon
detecting a magnitude of force that meets or exceeds the excessive force
threshold, the display deformation detection system 14 may be enabled to
store deformation statistics, such as the time of the deformation, the
deformation location, and/or the deformation magnitude. In some
embodiments, the display deformation detection system 14 may derive and
store a deformation gradient map (e.g., a snapshot of all deformations
and their associated statistics) at the time the excessive force
threshold is met. The deformation gradient map may provide a clearer
understanding of the cause of the excessive pressure exertion by
detailing each of the deformations that occurred at the time of the
excessive pressure exertion.

[0024] Manufacturers of the handheld electronic device 30 may also use the
display deformation detection system 14 to diagnose potential display 12
damage during the design process of the handheld electronic device 30.
For example, before being released to the public, the handheld electronic
device 30 may be subjected to a multitude of testing, such as human
factors testing. Human factors testing involves understanding a human's
interaction with a device to create a better design. The display
deformation detection system 14 may improve human factors testing during
the design process by providing new measurements of display strain caused
by human interaction with the device. For example, a human factors study
may show that users of the handheld electronic device 30 typically place
the handheld electronic device 30 in their pants pocket, when not in use.
The display deformation detection system 14 may provide measurements of
display deformations caused by this activity, thus allowing the
manufacturer to modify the design based upon the display deformations
caused by storing the handheld electronic device 30 in the user's pocket.

[0025] In one example, the display deformation detection system 14 may
detect a convex deformation (as depicted in FIG. 5), suggesting that the
display is being bent outward. The handheld electronic device 30
manufacturers may determine that such a deformation is possible because
the chassis of the handheld electronic device 30 is only semi-rigid,
allowing the electronic handheld device 30 to bend more than it should.
Based upon data provided through the display deformation detection system
30, the manufacturer may be able to incorporate a more rigid chassis
prior to releasing the handheld electronic device 30 to the public.

[0026] In certain situations a manufacturer may desire to enable the
display deformation detection system 14 when a drop is likely occurring.
Such selective enablement may preserve battery life of the handheld
electronic device when the display deformation detection system 14 is
merely used to diagnose causes of display 12 damage. In such embodiments,
the accelerometer 31 of FIG. 1 may be used to activate the display
deformation detection system 14. The accelerometer 31 may measure the
acceleration of the handheld electronic device 30 and provide the
measured acceleration to the processor 20. The processor 20 may detect a
likely drop or other abrupt movement of the handheld electronic device 31
(e.g., through detecting a measured acceleration that meets or exceeds an
excessive acceleration threshold). Based upon detecting the likely drop
or other abrupt movement, the processor 20 may activate the display
deformation detection system 14. The display deformation detection system
14 may then detect display deformations and provide results to the
processor 20. After a period of use, the processor 20 may deactivate the
display deformation detection system 14.

[0027] Turning now to a more detailed description of how the display
deformation detection system may be implemented, FIG. 3 illustrates an
embodiment of a display deformation detection system 14 using a mesh
layer 100. FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate display deformation examples and FIG.
6 provides a process for detecting the display 12 deformations. For
clarity, FIGS. 3-6 will be discussed jointly. The mesh layer 100 disposed
within or overlaid on the display 12. The mesh layer 100 may be may
include an array of rows 102 and columns 104 of crossing wires. The rows
102 and columns 104 may be disposed on separate planes, such that they
only touch at crossing points when a force is applied to the rows 102
and/or columns 104. In some embodiments, the wires may consist of Indium
Tin Oxide (ITO). The resolution of the mesh layer 100 may be very fine
(e.g., each wire may be very thin and close to the other wires). For
example, the wires may have a diameter of approximately 10 microns and/or
may be spaced within 70 microns of each other. As the wires of the mesh
layer 100 (e.g., rows 102 and columns 104) stretch or compress, the
resistance and/or capacitance of wires change. Thus, the resistance
and/or capacitance of the resistance pixels 106 (e.g., areas where the
wires cross) may also change. For example, as a force 110 is applied to
the display 12, some wires of the mesh layer 100 may stretch and some
wires of mesh layer 100 may compress. To detect display deformations,
resistance and/or capacitance changes in the mesh layer 100 may be
measured. To do this, baseline resistance and/or capacitance measurements
may be obtained (block 202). For example, the rows 102 and columns 104
may be coupled to resistance and/or capacitance measurement circuitry
108. The resistance and/or capacitance measurement circuitry 108 may
measure a baseline resistance and/or capacitance at portions of the wire
mesh layer 100 where the rows 102 and columns 104 intersect (e.g., the
resistance pixels 106). In other embodiments, the resistance and/or
capacitance measurement circuitry may be coupled to common voltage wires
of the display 12 to determine the baseline resistance and/or capacitance
measurements. The common voltage wires supply a common voltage to a
common electrode of the display 12.

[0028] When a force 110 is exerted on the display 12, the resistance
and/or capacitance of the wires will change. For example, as illustrated
in FIG. 4, a downward force 110 is exerted on the display 12. The
downward force 110 may cause the wires to compress 112 at one or more
resistance pixels 106. As the wires compress 112, the resistance may
decrease (and thus the capacitance may increase). Further, as illustrated
in FIG. 5, an upward force 110 may be exerted on the display panel (e.g.,
from underlying components of the handheld electronic device 30), causing
the wires to stretch 114 at one or more resistance pixels 106 near the
exerted force 110. As the wires stretch, the resistance may increase (and
thus the capacitance may decrease). The resistance and/or capacitance
measurement circuitry 108 may periodically or continuously measure the
resistance and/or capacitance of the mesh layer 100 at the resistance
pixels 106. The processor 20 via a driver or instructions for the
processor 20 may detect the change in resistance and/or capacitance based
upon the measurements by the resistance and/or capacitance measurement
circuitry 108 (block 204). As discussed above, in certain embodiments,
the display deformation detection system 14 may poll for new resistance
and/or capacitance measurements when an accelerometer measurement
provides an indication that the handheld electronic device 10 is being
dropped.

[0029] In certain embodiments, the display deformation measurements may be
associated with resistance and/or capacitance values that transition
rapidly compared to other stimuli that may affect the resistance and/or
capacitance (e.g., temperature changes). For example, the display
deformations may cause resistance and/or capacitance values in the wire
mesh 100 to shift rapidly, due to the deformations occurring rapidly.
Thus, slowly transitioning variations in resistance and/or capacitance
(e.g., those caused by temperature changes) may be filtered with a low
frequency filter (e.g., a high pass filter) (block 205). The resistance
and/or capacitance measurement circuitry 108 may then provide the
filtered resistance and/or capacitance measurements to the processor 20
or other data processing circuitry.

[0030] Upon finding a change in the baseline resistance and/or
capacitance, the display deformation detection system 14 may determine a
location (e.g., locations of the resistance pixels 106) where the change
occurred (block 206). Further, the measure of the change in the
resistance and/or capacitance from the baseline may be measured by the
resistance and/or capacitance measurement circuitry 108 to calculate a
magnitude of change (block 208).

[0031] As previously discussed, the rows 102 and columns 104 of wires may
be very small. Thus, the wires may include a very low resistance.
Therefore, the change in resistance and/or capacitance based upon the
deformation may also be quite low. The resistance and/or capacitance
measurement circuitry 108 may include very sensitive measurement
circuitry to account for the very low resistance levels. In certain
embodiments, the change in resistance of the wires may be on the order of
micro-ohms.

[0032] Certain processor instructions executed on the electronic device
may utilize information relating to the deformation location and/or
deformation magnitude rather than a resistance and/or capacitance change
location and magnitude. Thus, in some embodiments, it may be beneficial
to associate the location of the resistance and/or capacitance change
with a display deformation location (e.g., the location of the resistance
pixels 106 where the change occurred) (block 210) and associate the
magnitude of change in the resistance and/or capacitance with a magnitude
of the deformation of the display 12 or a magnitude of force exerted upon
the display 12 (block 212). In certain embodiments, a lookup table stored
in the non-volatile storage 24 may associate magnitude of force values
with specific resistance change values. Using the lookup table, the
processor 20 may associate the resistance and/or capacitance change with
a magnitude of force exerted on the handheld electronic device 30.

[0033] As previously discussed, the deformation statistics (e.g., the
deformation location, the deformation magnitude, and/or the deformation
time) may be stored in the non-volatile storage 24 for later retrieval.
The deformation statistics may be retrieved via the network interface 26,
the RF transmitter 28 and/or the I/O ports 16. Once retrieved, the stored
deformation statistics may be removed from the non-volatile storage 24.
In certain embodiments, periodically, the stored deformation statistics
may be removed to provide more storage space in the non-volatile storage
24.

[0034] In certain embodiments, it may be desirable to reset (e.g.,
re-measure) the baseline periodically. Over time, the mesh layer 100 may
retain some of the capacitance and/or resistance changes caused by
display 12 deformations. Resetting the baseline may help to ensure that
any retained capacitance and/or resistance changes are taken into account
when determining the changes in resistance and/or capacitance of the
wires. The baseline may be measured at pre-determined time periods or
upon the occurrence of certain events. For example, the baseline might be
re-measured daily at midnight or once per month at 3:00 A.M. In other
embodiments, the baseline may be reset by through at a manufacturer's
facility when the handheld electronic device 30 is brought in for repair.
In cellular telephone embodiments, the baseline may be reset
automatically each time a new cellular service tower is encountered by
the cellular telephone. Further, the baseline may be reset through the
use of a menu setting displayed on the GUI 38.

[0035] Measuring and reporting display deformation locations and
magnitudes may be useful in detecting both intentional and unintentional
display panel strain caused by force applied the display 12. For example,
intentional display panel strain may be useful in providing a more
dynamic GUI 38 that takes into account an amount of force that is being
applied via touch input to the display 12. Further, unintentional display
panel strain may be measured during the design process to understand the
strains that will be encountered by the display 12 by human factors.
Additionally, the display panel strain may be useful in diagnosing damage
to the display 12, by recording forces applied to the display 12 before
or during the time when the damage occurred.

[0036] The specific embodiments described above have been shown by way of
example, and it should be understood that these embodiments may be
susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. It should be
further understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to the
particular forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications,
equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of this
disclosure.